Digital Signal Processing Pioneer Bede Liu Dies at 91

Passing of a Pioneer

Bede Liu, recognized as a founder of modern digital signal processing, passed away on May 7 at 91 years old. Digital signal processing involves applying mathematical algorithms to analyze, modify, and transmit signals such as sound, images, and video.

Contributions to Modern Technology

Liu's research was instrumental in the transition from analog to digital processing of sound, images, and video. His work established mathematical and engineering techniques that are fundamental to modern communications, multimedia systems, and consumer electronics. The low-power digital signal processors enabling cellphone calls, streaming video, and Internet communications can be traced back to his research in the 1970s and 1980s.

Academic Career and Recognition

An IEEE Life Fellow, Liu taught electrical engineering at Princeton University for over 50 years, chairing the electrical and computer engineering department from 1994 to 1997. He received the 2018 IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal for his sustained contributions to the analysis and development of low-complexity realizations of digital signal processing algorithms.

Early Life and Education

Born in Shanghai in 1934, Liu moved to Taiwan during his childhood. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University in 1954. After moving to the United States, he and his father both earned master's degrees in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1956, where Liu also completed his doctoral degree four years later.